Devices for connecting pipes together

ABSTRACT

A device for interconnecting pipes and consisting of a yieldable plastics sleeve having two rows of axially offset lugs formed on its inner surface which serve to centralize and support the pipes. The rows of lugs have a gap therebetween accommodating a resilient or flexible plain annular disc. The disc separates the ends of the pipes and contacts stop faces of the lugs extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve. These lugs also have inclined bearing faces adjoining the stop faces and engaging the pipes and the disc can slide over these faces when being installed in the gap. Sealing rings are disposed between the exterior of the pipes and the interior of the sleeve.

United States Patent Glehn Oct. 24, 1972 [54] DEVICES FOR CONNECTINGPIPES TOGETHER [72] Inventor: Karl Glehn, Wiethasetstrasse 58, Cologne,Germany 221 Filed: Dec. 28, 1970 21 Appl.No.: 101,920

30 Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 30, 1969 Germany ..P 19 65600.9

[52] US. Cl. ..285/24, 277/225, 285/235, 285/344, 285/383 [51] Int. Cl..Fl6l 21/02 [58] Field of Search 1285/24, 230, 231, 235, 344, 285/351,369, 417, 383; 277/DIG. 2, DIG. 3, 225

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 1,386,074 12/1964 France ..285/369 29,073 12/ 1905 GreatBritain ..285/24 908,691 4/1954 Germany ..285/344 PrimaryExaminer--David J. Williamowsky Assistant Examiner-David l-l. CorbinAttorney0berlin, Maky, Donnelly & Renner [5 7 1 ABSTRACT These lugs alsohave inclined bearing faces adjoining the stop faces and engaging thepipes and the disc can slide over these faces when being installed inthe gap.

2926028 2/1960 Hookings t "285/231 X Sealing rings are disposed betweenthe exterior of the 3,572,777 3/1971 131056 611 al. ..285/351 x pipesand the interior of the Sleeve 3,317,087 5/1967 Landis ..285/235 X3,563,574 2/l971 Jackson et al. ..285/235 X 5 Claims, 2 Drawing FiguresPatented Oct. 24,1972

DEVICES FOR CONNECTING PIPES TOGETHER BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Thepresent invention relates to a device for connecting pipes together. Thepipes may be made from stone, asbestos, synthetic plastics or similarmaterials, and may be used to convey liquids. The device is particularlyintended for connecting such pipes in sewerage systems.

There is a need for a simple device which will connect pipes togetherand to some extent compensate for pipes of slightly non-circularcross-section.

An object of this invention is to provide such a device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention there isprovided a device for connecting pipes together; said device beingcomposed of a sleeve for receiving the pipes to be connected, the sleevehaving lugs formed on its inner surface which serve to centralize andsupport the ends of the pipes, the lugs being arranged in rows axiallyoffset from one another to form a gap therebetween for receiving anannular disc made of a flexible or resilient material, each lug having astop face delimiting said gap and adjoining an inclined face engageablewith one of the pipes and over which the disc can slide when beinginserted into said gap.

In another aspect, the invention provides the combination of two pipesinterconnected by means of a device composed of a sleeve into which thepipes extend, the sleeve having lugs formed on its inner surface whichserve to centralize and support the pipes, the lugs being arranged inrows axially offset from one another to form a gap in which is disposedan annular disc made of a flexible or resilient material and locatedbetween the ends of the pipes, each lug having a stop face engaging oradjacent said disc and an inclined face engaging one of the pipes andover which the disc can slide when being inserted into said gap, andsealing rings disposed between the external surfaces of the pipes andthe internal surface of the sleeve.

Preferably each row consists of at least four lugs, and the inclinedface of each lug extends over about one third the total length of thelug.

According to a further feature of the invention the stop face of eachlug is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve.

The disc can slide over the inclined faces of the lugs when beinginstalled in the gap and due to its flexiblity or resilience the disccan adapt itself to the restriction in cross-section before becominglocated in the gap by the stop faces.

The device is simple to produce and enables rapid assembly anddisassembly of pipes.

Hitherto, due to stresses, small discontinuities can form on the floorof a pipe line at the joints between the individual pipes or in thepipes themselves which prevent optimum flow of liquids. In practice,attempts have hitherto been made to remedy this drawback by marking theplaces on the pipe line which are out of true and by appropriatepositioning of the pipes in the pipe-line. The testing and the markingof the pipes, however, involve a considerable amount of labor.

In accordance with another feature of the invention the sleeve is madeof a yieldable plastics material and all the lugs are arranged withinone hemispherical section of the sleeve which forms the base of apipe-line. By means of this feature an adequate evenness in the floor ofthe pipe-line can be achieved regardless of the type of pipe used andwithout the need for the abovementioned testing and marking. The sectionof the sleeve containing the lugs is made the base of a pipeline and theaforesaid feature prevents the formation of little discontinuities inthe pipe line, such as are liable to appear, after the pipes have beenlaid, as a result of localized stresses. The sleeve can be marked todenote the base position at the actual production stage and if possible,the sleeve can be fitted onto a pipe end before it leaves themanufacturers works.

The invention may be understood more readily and various other featuresof the invention may become more apparent from consideration of thefollowing description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Embodiments of the invention will now bedescribed, by way of examples only, with reference to the accompanyingdrawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through a device made in accordancewith the invention; and

FIG. 2 is anend view of an alternative device made in accordance withthe invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIG. 1, the device isin the form of a cylindrical sleeve 1 serving to inter-connect two pipesdesignated 8 and 9. The sleeve 1. is preferably made from a yieldablesynthetic plastics material and has a plurality of lugs 2 formed on itsinner surface at the longitudinal central region thereof. In thisexample the lugs 2 are produced by deforming the sleeve 1 to providedepressions on its outer surface.

The lugs 2 are arranged in two axially offset rows each row having atleast four lugs. In this this way a gap 3 is formed between the rows oflugs, the gap 3 being disposed approximately at the center ofthesleeve 1. Each of the lugs 2 is so formed that it has a substantiallyflat stopface 6 to delimit the gap 3 and the surface 6 adjoins aninclined bearing face 5 which in use engages one of the pipes 8, 9extending perpendicularly of the longitudinal axis of the sleeve 1.

In FIG. 1, the lugs 2 of each row are aligned with one another to lie ona circle with one lug being situated 30 to each side of the lowestpoint. of the sleeve 1 as viewed in FIG. 1, while at least two furtherlugs are distributed over the inside of the cylindrical sleeve 1 in sucha way that no lugs are present in the top hemispherical part of thesleeve 1.

In the alternative construction depicted in FIG. 2 each row of lugs 2consists of four lugs evenly distributed over the inner surface of thesleeve 1. The corresponding lugs of the two rows are offset in respectof one another by an angle of 60. This arrangement ensures that theexternal surfaces of the pipes 8, 9 inserted in the sleeve 1 are evenlysupported.

As with the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, each lug 2 has a stop face 6adjoining an inclined bearing face, here designated 7 which extends overabout one-third the total length of the lug 2. An annular disc 4 isdisposed between the rows of lugs, i.e., in the gap 3 and the disc ismade of elastic or flexible material toenable the disc 4 to be insertedinto the sleeve 1 form either of the two ends of the latter and pushedover one of the rows of lugs 2, i.e., over the surfaces 5 thereof.

When the disc 4 is in place the pipes 8 and 9 are inserted from the twoends into the sleeve 1 and the pipes 8 and 9 are centered in the sleeve1 by means of the lugs 2. The ends of the pipes 8, 9 can rest againstthe annular disc 4 or else be closely adjacent the disc 4 which therebyserves to prevent damage to the ends of the pipes 8, 9. The pipes 8, 9are hermetically sealed by means of sealing rings 10 and 11 rolled intothe sleeve. The rings 10, 11 have a normal circular cross-section butwhen rolled in they adopt the flat shape shown in FIG. 1.

I claim:

1. A device for connecting cylindrical pipes together, comprising:

a. a substantially cylindrical sleeve of yieldable plastic materialadapted to receive the ends of the pipes to be connected;

b. lugs formed on the inner surface 'of said sleeve, said lugs beingarranged in two axially offset circular rows to form a gap therebetween,said lugs in each of said rows being circumferentially spaced, each ofsaid lugs being formed with a stop face delimiting said gap, an inclinedface extending axially of the sleeve and a flat surface between saidstop face and said inclined face;

c. an annular disc made of yieldable material and located in said gap,the arrangement being such that said disc slides over the inclined facesof said lugs when said disc is inserted into said gap; and

d. sealing rings disposed within the internal surface of said sleeve andadapted to engage the adjacent ends of inserted pipes.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein each row of lugs comprises at leastfour lugs.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the inclined face of each lug extendsover about one-third the total length of the lug. v

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the stop face of each lug isperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve.

5. The combination of two pipes and a sleeve of yieldable plasticmaterial in which the ends of said pipes extend into said sleeve forretention thereby, said sleeve having lugs formed on its inner surfacewhich engage the pipes to centralize and support the latter, said lugsbeing arranged in two circular rows axially offset to one another toform a gap therebetween, said lugs in each of said rows beingcircumferentially spaced, an annular disc made of yieldable materialdisposed within the gap and between the ends of the pipes, wherein eachlug has a stop face adjacent the gap, an inclined face extending axiallyof the sleeve and a flat surface between said stop face and saidinclined face engaging the adjacently disposed pipe, said disc slidingover the inclined faces of said lugs when inserted in the gap, andsealing rings disposed between the external surface of the ends of thetwo inserted pipes and the internal surface of the sleeve.

1. A device for connecting cylindrical pipes together, comprising: a. asubstantially cylindrical sleeve of yieldable plastic material adaptedto receive the ends of the pipes to be connected; b. lugs formed on theinner surface of said sleeve, said lugs being arranged in two axiallyoffset circular rows to form a gap therebetween, said lugs in each ofsaid rows being circumferentially spaced, each of said lugs being formedwith a stop face delimiting said gap, an inclined face extending axiallyof the sleeve and a flat surface between said stop face and saidinclined face; c. an annular disc made of yieldable material and locatedin said gap, the arrangement being such that said disc slides over theinclined faces of said lugs when said disc is inserted into said gap;and d. sealing rings disposed within the internal surface of said sleeveand adapted to engage the adjacent ends of inserted pipes.
 2. The deviceof claim 1, wherein each row of lugs comprises at least four lugs. 3.The device of claim 1, wherein the inclined face of each lug extendsover about one-third the total length of the lug.
 4. The device of claim1, wherein the stop face of each lug is perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis of the sleeve.
 5. The combination of two pipes and asleeve of yieldable plastic material in which the ends of said pipesextend into said sleeve for retention thereby, said sleeve having lugsformed on its inner surface which engage the pipes to centralize andsupport the latter, said lugs being arranged in two circular rowsaxially offset to one another to form a gap therebetween, said lugs ineach of said rows being circumferentially spaced, an annular disc madeof yieldable material disposed within the gap and between the ends ofthe pipes, wherein each lug has a stop face adjacent the gap, aninclined face extending axially of the sleeve and a flat surface betweensaid stop face and said inclined face engaging the adjacently disposedpipe, said disc sliding over the inclined faces of said lugs wheninserted in the gap, and sealing rings disposed between the externalsurface of the ends of the two inserted pipes and the internal surfaceof the sleeve.